1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a half-fitting prevention connector which is among those connectors, extensively used for connection to wire ends of a wire harness in an automobile, and is capable of detecting a half-fitted condition. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a half-fitting prevention connector provided with a resilient member for producing a force to move one of two connectors away from the other in a half-fitted condition.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-304267, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various electronic equipments have been mounted on various automobiles, and various connectors have been extensively used for connecting such electronic equipments together and for connecting wire harnesses together. In a production process or at the time of maintenance, two connectors are fitted together to be electrically connected together. However, if the two connectors are not completely fitted together, the electrical connection therebetween is improper, and besides the two connectors thus fitted together are withdrawn or disengaged from each other. Therefore, there has heretofore been proposed a half-fitting prevention connector of the type in which the two connectors are retained relative to each other in a completely-fitted condition so as to prevent the two connectors from being easily disengaged from each other.
One example of conventional half-fitting prevention connectors will now be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. This half-fitting prevention connector is of such a construction that a male connector (one connector) 51 and a mating female connector (the other connector) 52, when fitted together, are prevented from being kept in a half-fitted condition.
The male connector 51 includes a connector housing 53 which has terminal receiving chambers (each in the form of a through hole) for respectively receiving a predetermined number of female terminals 80, and also has terminal insertion ports open to the front side thereof. This male connector further includes an exclusive-use housing formed at an upper portion of the connector housing 53, and a slider 60, having a resilient member (not shown) is slidably mounted in this exclusive-use housing.
The female connector 52 includes a housing 71 which has terminal receiving chambers (each in the form of a through hole) for respectively receiving a predetermined number of male terminals, and also has terminal insertion ports open to the front side thereof. A pair of stopper projections 72 for abutting engagement with an abutment projection 64 on the slider 60 during the connector fitting operation are formed on an upper surface of the housing 71. A slanting projection 73, having a slanting surface for elastically deforming a lock arm 56, is formed between the stopper projections 72 and 72. An engagement groove 74, in which a housing lock 58 can be engaged, is provided at a rear end of the slanting projection 73.
FIG. 9 shows a completely-fitted condition of the male and female connectors 51 and 52. For canceling the fitted condition, the slider 60 is withdrawn in a direction of arrow F while pressing a pressing portion 65 of the slider 60 by the finger or the like. As a result, a slider arm 62 of the slider 60 slides over a slanting surface of a lock beak 57, and is elastically deformed upwardly as shown in FIG. 10. The abutting engagement of a displacement prevention projection, provided on the housing lock 58, with a displacement prevention portion of the slider 60 is canceled, so that the free end of the housing lock 58 can be displaced. Then, the disengaging force is caused to act between the two connectors, so that the housing lock 58 (formed at the distal end of the lock arm 56), retainingly engaged in the engagement groove 74, is elastically deformed upwardly, thus canceling the retained condition. In this condition, the body of the female connector 52, held with the hand, is withdrawn rearwardly, and by doing so, the female connector 52 can be easily withdrawn from the male connector 51.
In the above conventional connector, however, for canceling the fitted condition of the male and female connectors 51 and 52, it is necessary to move the slider 60 from the upper side and to disengage the housing lock 58 from the slanting projection 73. Therefore, there has been encountered a problem that the efficiency of the operation for canceling the fitted condition of the male and female connectors 51 and 52 can not be easily enhanced.